Canadian Museum for Human Rights

A glass spire rises from a sweeping, curved building of stone and concrete at the junction of two rivers in Winnipeg, and the whole structure is meant to say something about the human spirit. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights stands beside The Forks, the meeting place of the Red and Assiniboine rivers that Indigenous peoples have used for thousands of years, and it opened in 2014 as the first national museum in the world built solely to explore the subject of human rights. The idea began with the Winnipeg businessman Israel Asper and his family, and it was developed into a national institution with public support.

The architect Antoine Predock designed the building to evoke the shapes of the prairie landscape, with curving walls of Manitoba Tyndall limestone, glass and steel that suggest clouds, ice and wings. The route through it is part of the design. Visitors ascend through galleries on a series of ramps of luminous alabaster, moving from darkness toward light, and at the top reach the Tower of Hope, a glass spire from which the view over the city and the rivers opens up. The Garden of Contemplation, an interior courtyard of basalt, water and plants, provides a quiet place to reflect.

The exhibitions are immersive and personal. Galleries cover a wide range of themes, from Indigenous perspectives and the story of rights in Canada to the Holocaust and other genocides, the struggle for equality and the work of individuals and movements to protect dignity. Many displays use film, sound, touch and interactive features, so that visitors engage rather than simply read. Indigenous rights and reconciliation have a central place, and the museum shows these through the stories of the people involved. Among the works are the Witness Blanket, a large installation by the artist Carey Newman made of objects from residential schools, which honours survivors. Exhibitions on 2Spirit people, on Reclaiming Power and Place, which looks at the rights of Indigenous women, and on the movement for equality appear in the programme, Current temporary exhibitions change regularly.

The museum offers guided tours, educational programmes and public events, and the content is sometimes challenging, so visitors should be ready for emotionally difficult material, particularly when visiting with children. Admission is charged, with discounts for some groups, and opening hours vary by day and season, so check the website. Plan on at least two to three hours.

The museum stands next to The Forks Market, the riverside paths and the Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge, so a visit fits easily into a day in Winnipeg. It is reachable by bus and on foot from downtown, and it suits students, families with older children and anyone who values reflection on justice.